Why volunteer

We are always on the look out for volunteers for prestigious industry events. Aside from the benefits for our charity, there are plenty of good reasons you should volunteer for FTCT. Here’s eight to get you inspired.

1. It's a career booster

Volunteering is an excellent way to boost your career prospects. It helps you create a positive impression and stand out from the crowd.

2. Learn new skills

Employers love a candidate with a range of soft skills and luckily, volunteering gives you plenty of those. You have to deal with a mix of personalities and go outside of your comfort zone. This all adds up and helps to improve your teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and people skills.

3. Make a difference

Volunteering, gives you the opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself. Without people who are willing to sacrifice their time and lend their skills to FTCT we couldn’t have helped 4 times as many children this year.

4. Give back to a cause you believe in

Maybe you are just starting out in the fashion and textile industry or have worked in it for years. Perhaps you know someone who has been helped by an FTCT grant and want to volunteer for us in return. Or maybe you care about children and want to help a cause which supports young people along their journey.

Whatever your reason, allowing your passion to drive your actions will make you more committed to the cause and as a result, your impact will be that much bigger.

5. Change someone's life

Your actions, whether big or small will have an impact on someone’s life. By helping us to raise funds at an event you are helping our charity to fund more essential items; like clothing, bedding and shoes, for children and young people across the UK. These young people will have a better quality of life because of you. That is powerful stuff.

6. Gain a new perspective

Volunteering changes how you see the world. It can open your eyes to the challenges some UK families and children face and make you more passionate about helping the charity as a result.

7. Get inspired

Are you finding yourself stuck in a rut? Or maybe you are looking for ways to boost your CV or UCAS profile. You can use volunteering as a reason to get out of old routine and help boost your confidence and the fashion and textiles community.

8. It's fun

Of course, volunteering is not something to take lightly and requires commitment, but it is also fun! It’s a reason to meet new people, build your skills and experience new events and environments.

During your downtime you take a look around the event and soak up the atmosphere, who knows, you could even meet your future employer! Combining this with all the altruistic reasons to volunteer, makes for an unforgettable experience.

Before we start, just a quick note to say we know we’ve been a bit quiet on this front recently. We’ve had a few comings and goings over the last few months, so things have been a bit up in the air! But things are now falling nicely into place so, after this end-of-the-year round-up, we will be picking up our regular newsletters in 2019. So keep an eye out for all your favourite FTCT news!

Don’t worry if you are feeling nervous or apprehensive about applying. We’re a small and friendly team, so you won’t need to explain your situation lots of times to different people. Our grants team will work with you on your application and help with queries along the way.

My name's Anna and I'm the Director of the Fashion & Textile Children's Trust.
I'm climbing Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, in February to raise money for the hundreds of families who turn to use for help every year.
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